Pyrophoric lighter



Dec. 3o, 1947.

B; LOWE NTHAL PYROPHORIC LIGHTER Filed May '7, 1945 F/GS.

Patented Dec. 30, 1947 ori-*ICE PYROPHORIC LIGHTER Benno Lowenthal, London, England Application May 7, 1945, Serial No. 592,442 In Great Britain November 2, 1944 6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a pyrophoric lighter comprising a casing containing or forming a fuel reservoir on which is mounted a friction `or ilint wheel which bears against a flint and, when rotated, projects a Sparkonto a wick which extends from the fuelcontainer to a point on top of the reservoir adjacent the flint. The inventiony is Concerned more particularly with a lighter of the kind in which the friction wheel and the wick are enclosed by a wick cap or cover which can be opened by depressing a lever or thumb piece and the opening of which automatically effects a partial rotation of the friction wheel and causes the wick to be ignited, while, on releasing the lever or thumb piece, the wick cap or cover is automatically closed.

l-Iitherto, in lighters of this kind the operating lever has been pivotally mounted on the top of 'the fuel reservoir and the rotation of the friction wheel has been effected by means of a rack which was connected to the wick cap or cover and engaged a ratchet wheel connected to the friction wheel. IThe known construction had the disadvantage that there were openings or spaces below the operating lever which were liable to collect dirt and, moreover, detracted from the appearance of the lighter.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved lighter of the kind set forth.

According to the invention, the rotation of the flint wheel is effected by means of a rack which engages a ratchet wheel connected to the flint wheel and a lever which is pivoted to the casing and of which one end is pivoted to the rack and the other end is operatively connected to the operating member of the wick cap or cover. According to a further feature of the invention, the casing of the lighter is provided above the fuel reservoir with a recess into which the operating member of the wick cap or cover enters when it is depressed to operate the wick cap or cover. As a consequence-of this construction it becomes possible, in accordance with another feature of the invention, to make the side and top surfaces of the lighter substantiallyfree from any apertures and projections, so that the above-mentioneddisadvantage is avoided.

According to one preferred form of construction, the friction wheel and a ratchet wheel by which it is operated are fixed on a spindle which is carried in side plates attached to or'integral with the sides of the casing, and the ratchet wheel isengaged, as aforesaid, by a rack which is pivoted to one end of a leverl of which the other end is operatively connected tothe operating member.

The wick cap or cover is then in the form of a plate-like portion'which normally rests on ledges projecting inwardly from the side plates and of which the rear end is pivotally connected to the operating member, and a portion which projects downwardly from the front of the plate-like portion and encloses the wick and, when the wick cap is closed, forms a continuation of the side-plates.

In order that the invention may be easily understood and readily carried into effect, a'pyrophoric lighter constructed in accordance with the invention is illustrated, by way of-example, in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the lighter taken on the line I-I of Fig. 3 with the wick cap closed;

Figure 2 is a similar section showing the wick 031D Open;

Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig. 1; l

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 'IV- IV of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a detail sectional View.

Referring to the drawing, the lighter comprises a casing I of which the upper part encloses the head part 2 and the lower part constitutes the fuel reservoir and is filled as usual with absorbent material 3. The lower part is closed on top by the head 2 and at the bottom by a cover 4. The head part 2 is provided adjacent its front end with a bore 5 through which a wick 6, which is surrounded by the absorbent material 3, is passed. Adjacent the wick 6, a tube 1 is fitted in a bore in the head part 2 and its lower end, which enters a bore in the cover 4, is closed by a screw 8. The tube I contains a spring 9 and a flint support III by which a flint I I in the upper end of the tube is pressed against a flint wheel I2, The flint wheel I2 is fast on a spindle I4 which is rotatable in side plates |-5vextending from the head part 2. A ratchet wheel I3 is also xed on the spindle I4 beside the flint wheel I2.

On top of the head part 2; is mounted a wick cap which consists of a `substantially flat platelike portion I6 and a downwardly extending Vshaped portion Il which normally encloses the wick and of which the edges are flush with the edges of the side plates I5. The portion I6 nor.- mally rests on ledges I8 which project inwardly from the side plates I5 and is pivoted by a pivot i9 to an operating member 20. To the underside of the member 20 is xed a tube 2I which is a sliding dit in a tube 22, the upper end of which is fixed to the underside of the head part 2. A spring 23 is dispcsed'within the tubes 2l and 22 and its upper end bears against the part while its lower end bears against a screw 24 by which the end of the tube 22 is closed. The member 2B is therefore normally held in the position indicated in Figure 1 by the spring 23, but can be depressed against the action of the spring so as to enter a recess 21 provided in the head part 2. A spring 25 which tends to hold the wick cap I6, I'l' in the position of Figure 1 is anohoredatone end to a hookl on ,the `part i6 andiat the other-lend to the head part 2.

A lever 28 is pivoted by a pivot 29 intermediate its ends to the head part 2 and can move .inmecesses 30 and 3l provided in the side of 'thepart 2. One end of the lever has a ,prolecting stud 32 which can slide in a slot 33 in the part 20 and to the other end of the lever is gpivo'ted a `rack 34 which engages the ratchet wheel 1'3. The teeth of the rack are held in engagement with those of the ratchet wheel by means of a spring 35 which is held in a slot in the head Apart ,2 `and bears against the back of vthe rack.

Ascreen havingan aperture 3 1 jor thepassage of the .sparks 'is `provided between the vhint Wheel i2 and theewick 6. Thisscreenacts .as a guard Tlor the ilint wheel .and helps ito prevent excess fuel from the mckrom wetting theflint wheel.

The ue'l reservoir is provided 1as usual with a filling opening which is closedby a screw 33.

In operation, when .the lpart `2l! is depressed the part |6,o'f tl 1 e wick caoslidesalong theledges t8 and is simultaneously pivoted ,about the rear edges of those ledges which ,are ,curved and thereley move into the open positionshown in vFigure l2.

rotating .the `'ratchet wheel, which is held against rotation by means .of ,a Lpawl .39.

As will be seen, especially from Figures l ,and ,3, when the wickcap is closed, the lighter presents on vall sides `substantially llush surfaces which ,are

atree irom openings which .detract from the appearance 'of the lighter rand are liable to collect dust.

l. In a vcigarette lighter that includes a casing, a wick projecting therefrom, an igniting device associated with the wick, ,and operating ,mecha- ,nism including a .plungermounted :for rectilinear reciprocation and arranged .to actuate the ignitins device during-depression ofthe plungensaiitomainlly operating closure .means pivoted to the plungerand comprising a .coi/error the witzig, and guide means arranged netweentbe plunger and the wick tosnpportfaportion o f the ooi/er age-inst movement in the .direction of 4i iriovenlent of the plunger when depressed and .to permit the cover to side .and to pivot ,between lthe cover `ruid plunger .to .travel ,with the latter to :swing the .cover open when the nlungeris depressed.

2. In a cigarette lighter that includes 2i-casing, a wick projecting therefrom, igniting .device associated with the and .operating meenanism fnoludingla plunger mounted for rectilinear reciprocation and arranged to aetuate the ignitving device,duringldepressionof the A plunger Vautomatically operating closure according .to

4 claim 1 wherein the cover comprises a. plate plvoted at one end to the plunger for swinging about an axis transverse to the path of movement of the plunger and carrying a wick-enclosing element at its other end, and the supporting means is provided with a bearing surface spaced toward the wick from the pivot to permit the pivoted end of said plate to be swung down with the plunger thereby ,lifting zthe wick-enclosing mem- 'ber :from the Awick.

3. In a cigarette lighter that includes a casing, fa wick projecting therefrom, an igniting device associated with the wick, and operating mecha- 'nismin'cluding a plunger mounted for rectilinear ireciprocation "and arranged to actuate the igniting device during depression of the plunger; automatically operating closure means according to claim 1 yincluding spring means arranged to exert Apressure on the cover at a point spaced from the pivot toward the wick to urge the cover to swing toward closed position.

T4. AIn a cigarettelighter that includes-a casing, .a wick Aprojecting therefrom, an igniting V,device associated with the vwick and comprising a .flint .and a friction wheel, and operating mechanism .including a plunger mounted or rectilinear reciprocation and `arramgedior turning .the friction wheel ,during depression of the .plunger vcover means comprising a member lpi-voted to -the Vp'lungrriand extending over the .Wicka supporting structure projectingffromrthe'casing between the ,wick and 4the plunger, saidstructure rotatably supporting the .friction wheel and having a bear-- ing surface terminating rat a point ,space-d from `thelpivot -in the ydirection Lof the wick, said surface slidably supporting the cover member and ,permitting its .pi-voted y end to @swing with the plunger to raise the other -end :from the wickas ,the `,plunger ,is depressed.

5. lnfa cigarette lighter that `includes 'la casing, a wick projecting therefrom, an igniting vdevice associated with the wick and comprising a iiiint and a .friction wheel, and .operating mechanism including a plunger located in -zspaced relation to the friction wheel and on the opposite side thereof tothe wick tand mounted for :rectilinear reciprocation, said mechanism being arranged to rotate -the ,friction wheel upon depression of 'the plunger; a cover `plate pivoted at one end to the Aplunger forswinging about 1an axis transverse to the path of the plunger and at its other end carrying a wick-enclosing cup, a pair of plates projecting from the casing win spaced apart relation on =ilplosite sides ,of 'the friction wheel and rotatably supporting said iwheel, said plates having bea-ring surfaces -;disp.osed outwardly o lthe friction Wheel andrslidably contacting the cover platealt apoint spaced fromthe pivot toward the "Willis, permitting the cover `plate to slide toward the plunger and its p ivoted yend Vto :move with the plungergto swingzthe wichenclosing cup ifromthe wiel; during depression of the plunger- 6 .In a cigarette lighter, including a casing, a projecting therefrom, :a zint and friction wheel igniting device and operating mechanism including t1-plunger :reciprocally mounted andarranged to rotate the wheel during depression of the plunger; aipair 4o fplates projecting from the casing in spaced apart relation and on opposite sides o f the friction wheel and rotatably supporting said wheel between them, .a partition extending between the said plates between the friction the 'friction wheel :and the wick and having a relatively small aperture substantially coaxial with ia line netmeeting the exposed end .of said REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Strauss Feb. 28,y 1928 Holtzman Jan. 14, 1930 Aronson June 3, 1930 Evans July 4, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Feb. 2, 1931 

